Game



June 22 1926.v 1,590,127

F. J. SPITZENBERGER A GAME Filed August 3l 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet l l 2 3 b" Q 101m? WITNESS:

ATTORNEY June 22 1926. 1,590,127

. F. J. SPlTZENBERGER GAME Filed August 3l 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 [Q g. n H H '54* llll- Illllllnll'llll l IH T L l l I YRS GRAND /STAND Y mmm; TEM/H LHOME TEW] V ATTORNEY WITNESS:

June 22 1926.

- 1,590,127 F. J. SPITZENBERGER GAME Filed August 3l l 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 g2/lg.

7 4 y I y W5 eQ @.Mlw.

WITNESS:

INVENTOR ATTORNEY June 22 1926. 1,590,127

F.l J. SPITZENBERGER GAME Filed August 3l 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 \Z2 cf/)oizenber er ATTORNEY WITNESS:

Patented June 22, 1926.

UNITED STATES FRANK JOSEPH SPITZENBERGER, OF DULUTH, MINNESOTA.

` GAME.

Application led August 31, 1925. Serial No. 53,602.

This invention relates to improvements in games and has for an object the provision of a novel device by means of which one or more persons may play a game of baseball in accordance with the rules of the regular game, provision being made for executing various kinds of plays occurring throughout an ordinary game with the result of the play being in doubt until after its execution.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a game apparatus which is simple, compact and attractive in appearance and which includes means for indicating the plays during the progress of the game.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention further includes the following novel features and details of construction, to be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of a game apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is .an end viewv of the same.

Figure 3 is a top lan view.

Figure 4 is a plan view with parts removed and others broken away to more clearly illustrate the interior mechanism.

Figure 4 with the parts in normal position. Figure 6 is a similar view showing one of the indicators in active position as the result of a play.

Figure 7 is a' section' taken substantially on the line 7-7 of Figure 5.

Figure 8 is a similar view on the line 8-8 of Figure 5.

Fig. 9 is a view of one of the men. Referring to the drawings in detail wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts, the apparatus as shown comprises a casing or cabinet whose top 10 is arranged to indicate a baseball field or park and includes a diamond 11 while the grandstand and bleachers are indicated at 12.V The upper front edge of the cabinet is beveled and provided with a glass covered sight opening 13 through which the result of the various plays may be seen, as will be later explained.

Extending longitudinally within the cabinet is a trough 14 which includes oppositely inclined side walls 15 and 16, the latter extending u ward to the under face of the top 10 while t e wall 15 terminates short of the Figure 5 is'a sectionvon the line 5 5 of top. The lower edges of the walls 15 and 16 are spaced apart and extending longitudinally 0f the cabinet below `the trough is a channel shaped trough 17. This last mentioned trough has one of its side walls pivotally mounted upon a rod 18 so as to provide a gate 19. Spaced longitudinally of the trough 17 are transversely extending partition walls 2O which provide between them pockets 21. Pivotally mounted within each of these pockets upon a pivot bar 22 are arms 23 which carry at their outer ends indicator panels 24, the latter being of various colors. The colors may be of any desired character and arranged in any suitable manner and may include black, white, red, green, blue, brown and yellow and are designed to indicate respectively, strike, ball, foul, 1, 2 and 3 base hits and home run; It is preferred to provide the apparatus with twenty indicator panels divided as follows: eight panels to indicate strikes, five to indicate balls, three to indicate fouls, and one each to indicate 1, 2 and 3 ba-se hits and home run. It will therefore be seen that they panels which indicate strikes,l balls and fouls ex` ceed in number the remaining panels and will therefore be operated oftener, as will later appear.

The game is designed to be played with a ball or marble indicated at 25, the weight of which will move the engaged arm 23 pivotally as shown in Figure 6 of the drawings and raise the panel of this arm so as to be plainly 'seen through thel sight opening 18.

The front wall 26 of the cabinet is provided with an opening 27 and extending from the lower edge of this opening rearward and upward within the cabinet isv av .deflectorl wall 28 which terminates above the trough 14 and is designed to guide the ball 25 into the trough. Certain of the arms 23, for example, the arms which carry the panels for indicating 1, 2 and 3 base hits, have positioned above them obstructions 29. These obstructions are in the form of rods which extend `transversely of the trough 14 above the base hit panel arms and .while theyfpermit .the balls to engage these arms, they render engagement more diflicult. The arm which carries the home run indicating panel is likewise provided with an obstruction `3() lwhich is wider than the obstructions` 29 and proportionately increasesthe diculty of having the ball ena gage this arm.

The players or men are preferably in the form of pegs indicated at 31 and the lower ends of these pegscarry reduced portions 32 which are receivable 1n spaced openings provided in the top 10 preferably Vat each vided with a plurality of rotatable markers or disks 35 having numbers thereon'which are visible through openings 87 in the panel and are designed to indicate strike, ball, outs and score as shown `in Figure 1. The panel is further arranged to provide a box scoreY 38 so that the runs and plays may be indicated and this portion of the panel is of a character to permit ot the ready erasure of these indications. At one end ot the panel` there is providedv a key 39 bym'eans of which the character of the play indicated by the particular panel operated may be determined.

The game is preferably played by two or more persons representing two teams or .sides. The player or players representing the :team at bat will roll a ball inward through the opening 27 ywith sufficient torce .to cause the ball to travel up the delecting wall 28 and ent-er the trough. 14, the wall V16 preventing thel ball from passing entirely over the trough. The panels 24 indicating the various plays are scattered an-dwhen the ball passes downward out of the trough it will engage one of the a-rms 23 so as to cause its pane-l 24 to lmove upward as previously described. Should a black panel be actuated, one .strike willk be indicated within the strike opening 37. The play is continued after thev manner of the ordinary ball game, the ball'v being again put into play until the player either strikes out, receives a base on balls orinakes ak hit. In the latter event, one man 3l is positioned upon the xarm 40' through anarcuate slot' 4l in one end of the cabinet so that when this arm is moved within the slot, theV gate `19 will be opened. The ball will then gravitate into .an inclined runway 42- and passes out through an opening 43 in the end of the tally cabinet. A spring 44v returns the gate to closed position.

The invention is susceptible of various changes in its form, proportions and minor details of construction and the right is herein reserved to make such changes as properly fall within the scope of the appended claims. A

lHaving described the invention what is claimed is l. A game apparatus comprising a cabinet .having a sight opening and an entrance opening therein, a plurality of normallyinactive indicator elements within the cabinet,

a ball adapted to be impelled throi'igh the entrance opening to engage and actuate the indicator elements and move one of the latf ter into posit-.ion within the sight opening, means controlled by the particular indicator element actuated to indicate the character of a play and means to release the balflv and return the same to the player. f

2. A game apparatus comprising a 'cabinet having aV sight opening and anentrance opening therein, a plurality of normal-ly inactive indicator elements within the cabinet,a ball adapted to be impelled through the entrance' opening to engage and a'ctuate the indicator elements and move one off the latter into position within the sight opening, means controlledgby the particular 'indicator element' actuated to indicate v the character of a play, means to releasel the ball and returny thesame to the player and obstructions for certain of the indicator elements to render their operation less: frequent than certain Vof the remaining panels.

3. A game apparatus comprising a cabi"- net having a sight opening and an'entrance opening therein, a plurality'of normally horizontally disposed pivotally mounted arms within the cabinet below the sight opening, indicators carried by the arms, a ballv adapted to be impelled through the entrance opening toA engage and. actuate the arms to move the indicators within the sight opening, means controlled by the particular indicator moved lto indicate the character of a play and means to release the ball and return the same tot the player.

4. A game apparatus comprising a cabinet having. a sightopening and an entrance opening, a plurality of normally. horizondisposed pivotally mounted arms within the cabinetbelow the sight opening,

indicators carried bythe arms, a ball 'adapted to be impelled Athrough Ythe entrance opening to engagev and actuate the arms kto move: the indicators within Vthe sight opening, a trough to receiveand guide ball to the pivoted arms, means controlled bythe particular indicator moved to indicate the characterof a'play and means to release the ball and return the same to the player.

.55A game apparatus comprising a cabinet having a sight opening and an entrance opening, a plurality of normally horizontally disposed pivotally mounted arms within the cabinet below the sight opening, indicators carried by the arms, a ball adapted to be impelled through the entrance opening to engage and actuate the arm and move the indicators within the sight opening, a trough to receive and guide ball to the pivoted arms, means extending transversely ot' the trough in the path of the ball and in advance of certain of the arms to provide obstructions, means controlled by the particular indicator moved to indicate the character of a play and means to release the ball and return the same to the player.

6. A game apparatus comprising a cabinet 'having a sight opening and an entrance opening, a plurality of normally horizontally disposed pivotally mounted arms within the cabinet below the sight opening, indicators carried by the arms, a ball adapted to be impelled through the entrance opening to engage and actuate the arms and move the indicators within the sight opening, a bottomless trough above the arms and `disposed transversely of the latter to receive and guide ball to the pivoted arms, means controlled by the particular indicator moved to indicate the characterl of a play and means to release the ball and return the same to the player.

7. A game apparatus comprising a cabinet having a sight opening and an entrance opening, a bottomless trough within the cabinet, a ballv adapted to be impelled through the entrance opening into the trough, pockets beneath the tro-ugh to receive the ball, arms pivotally mount-ed within the pockets and adapted to be actuated by the weight of the ball, indicators carried by the arms for position within the sight opening when the arms are actuated, means controlled by the particular indicator moved to indicate the cha-racterot` a play and means to release and return the ball to the player. y 8. A game apparatus comprising a cabinet having a sight opening and an entrance opening, a plurality of normally horizontally disposed pivotally mounted arms within the cabinet below the sight opening, indicators carried by the arms,`a ball adapted to be impelled through the entrance opening to engage and actuate the arms and move the indicators within the sight opening, means extending from the bottom of the sight opening and rearwardly and upwardly above the arms to guide the ball, means controlled by the particular indicator moved to indicate the character of a play and means to release the ball and return the latter to the player.

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature.

FRANK JOSEPH SPITZENBERGER. 

